King of Gods
by Mrs Scorpius Malfoy
Summary: "I've waited for you to come back to me for more than a thousand years," Indra said. In which Sasuke loses Sakura to his ancestor. SasuSakuIndra
1. Chapter 1

**Now**

He never thought it was going to be this way, but she slips through his fingers and all he can do is rip her name through his throat until it feels like it's bleeding. Her tear-stained eyes distance themselves from him, her watery drops falling on his cheeks, and he feels them pulling along every ounce of his humanity as she is dragged away by a force that is too strong for his sole arm to restrain.

Indra's arm is tightly wrapped around her waist but her arms still reach out, trying to hold on to something, anything, anything that will keep her beside him. His ancestor's grip holds her even closer, his face resting on her neck as his Sharingan looks back at Sasuke with a territorial expression.

After years of travelling alone, with only one hand, Sasuke feels more powerless and useless than ever.

It isn't supposed to be like this. Indra isn't supposed to be abducting her, not after all they had gone through together to get answers. The shinobi world should be at peace now, but Sasuke's heart feels more conflicted than during the war. It's all because of his curiosity, of his need to find out about the past. It's all his fault.

His reason for staying alive, his _home,_ is being taken away from him _once again_. And he can't lose it. It's his fault that she is being taken away like a helpless puppet. Her pink hair covers her pained expression, covers her tears and the last sight he has of her. He cannot lose her, he repeats. She is too precious, too important to be taken away like this. Like his family once was.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

Indra is taking Sakura away from him and he has to get her back at any cost.

* * *

><p><strong>Then<strong>

"I have a request for you."

He stands in the centre of the room. No introductions are needed.

His old teacher looks up from the paperwork scattered on his office desk. There are no lights on; he and Kakashi share their preference for moonlit rooms over artificial light. Something about embracing and losing oneself in the darkness, Sasuke thinks. Hatake Kakashi is dressed in his Hokage attire, his mouth covered as always and his black eyes exposed to his former student. The last time they saw each other, he didn't look as tired. Kakashi is a man of battlefield, much like Sasuke.

Neither of them can stay in one place unmoved for too long, and Kakashi's appearance is evidence of his lack of physical activity outside of Kage duties.

"Sasuke."

"Kakashi."

"It's nice to know that you've stayed out of trouble," the Hokage comments. "Although if Naruto saw you he wouldn't be too happy."

At this, Sasuke lifts an eyebrow. "Why would that be?"

"You missed his wedding."

"Oh."

In all honesty, Sasuke did not pay attention to the small invitation that arrived with his summon a couple of months ago. His old teammates tend to send him invites to different events in Konoha as a manner of keeping him updated, wishing for him to come and visit, or rather thinking that if he sees what he is missing he will have a change of heart and come back.

None of that would happen. There are still too many places to visit, too much to atone for. Two years isn't enough to make him want to come back to Konoha for good, no matter how much his heart has changed after the last time he could form a seal with two hands.

"It happened after the whole Ōtsutsuki Toneri business -which, by the way, thank you."

"It's nothing."

His brief visit to Konoha went unnoticed and he wouldn't consider it a proper return to his home village. Kakashi sends him a brief nod, both choosing to stay silent about his brief appearance.

"He and Hinata from the Hyuuga clan got married. Something about falling in love in the moon."

Sasuke would have never pictured his best friend as the type of person to get married so quickly and at such a young age. But then again, Naruto is notorious for being the most exuberant person in all of Konoha's history. Even more than Senju Hashirama. Must be something about being Asura's reincarnation.

"What was your request?"

Sasuke remains silent, letting his mind rearrange his plans seeing as new circumstances appeared. When he speaks, his voice is on a leveled tone.

"After that whole ordeal," meaning when the moon was about to crash on their planet and all they had worked for would be obliterated, "there have been rumours of an ancient chakra roaming around in the north of the Land of Fire."

"Rumours?"

"The moon's closeness must have changed something, and I have my suspicions as to what might be happening."

Kakashi leans back on his chair and scratches his covered chin. Sasuke tries not to think too much whether his old teacher has a beard underneath that mask or prefers a clean shave.

"You want to go to the north and see if you can learn anything from it," he concludes. "You're a big boy now, Sasuke. You've never asked for my permission to do anything before."

"I'm not asking for your permission, _Hokage-sama_. I have a request."

The room may be dark, but Sasuke can still see Kakashi's shoulders moving as he chuckles.

"Once again, what is your request?"

Seeing that the dobe is off starting his life with Hyuuga Hinata, Sasuke is left with another choice. It isn't his first, because he knows of the village's dependence on her abilities. But if he is embarking on a new task, an unknown one, he needs someone trustworthy to watch his back.

Aside from Naruto, there is nobody better than her at doing that.

"I request that Sakura comes with me."

Two years ago, he promised that he would see her when he's back. He thanked her. And he cannot forget how she looked at him before his departure. Those huge green eyes, her flushed cheeks, the wind sweeping her pink hair. Sasuke knows he can trust his teammate, and has given her enough reason to trust him back. Before leaving to travel around the world, he willingly spent time with her to try and make up for all the times he let her down.

And she was just as welcome as always.

"Sakura is a jōnin now."

"I'm aware."

"And Tsunade relies on her at the hospital now that she's retired. She's also supposed to be assigned a genin team in three months when the students graduate."

"There's no one better than her."

Kakashi could throw every excuse at him, but Sasuke isn't going to change his opinion. The Hokage moves his chair in order to open his desk's drawers. After rummaging through piles of papers and files stuffed in them, he pulls out an orange manila folder and sets it in front of Sasuke. The black symbols on it read Team 7, and Kakashi opens it, showing him three different files.

"I am happy that you finally acknowledge your old teammate's abilities, Sasuke." He sets the thickest file on top of the folder. It has Sakura's name and information written on it, and dozens of pages recording her career. "However, she is very important to the village. Why should I let one of my jōnin, _especially_ my own student, go off with a genin like you?"

That genin commentary was unnecessary.

"Because there's no one better than her." Sasuke cannot trust anyone else with his life, and whatever is happening in the north may be more than just an addition to his journey of atonement.

Kakashi sighs and rubs his eyes. He looks a lot smaller sitting in his office chair, or maybe Sasuke has grown too much since he was seventeen. "So you're asking for my permission to take her along."

"..."

"She would go with you to the end of the world without telling anyone. You know that."

"But she wouldn't betray her village."

That's what sets him apart from Sakura and Naruto. Sasuke has spent too many years as a rogue ninja, and too much time arguing with himself whether it is worth it giving his loyalty to a village that had ripped his heart out. They never had to doubt their allegiance, knowing that Konoha would always support them.

The Hokage finally slumps back on his chair, his head resting on his left hand.

"I have only one condition," he says. "Seeing that her rank is higher than yours, she will be leading this mission. Furthermore, I reiterate my statement from the last time you left. If anything happens, my ass is on the line.

"And finally, if anything happens to Sakura, you will have to face much more than just me and Naruto."

"Understood."

"Now go away, I have some planning to do before the night's over _and_ I need to contact Sakura."

The next day, her soft voice is the first thing he pays attention to.

"Sasuke-kun, welcome back."

It is accompanied by her sweet smile, her sincere eyes, the faint blush in her cheeks. This is the Sakura he remembers, the one he left behind because she has nothing to do with his past sins. The nineteen year old standing in front of him looks more like a young woman than a girl; her chakra feels stronger, her arm muscles more defined, yet her hitai-ate still sits proudly on her short hair and he is reminded of how long his has gotten.

The large gates of Konoha are as green as Sasuke remembers. The first rays of sunlight radiate on them. They radiate on her as well. He notices how much shorter she looks beside him, quite the opposite of their genin days when she was the tallest and Naruto the shortest.

"I'm pulling a lot of strings here, you two," Kakashi comments, hands in pockets. "And trust me, it wasn't easy to do all of this overnight."

Sasuke didn't sleep either, but he was not going to let his old teacher know about his brief stay at Naruto's new house. His mind is still not wrapped around the fact that _Uzumaki Naruto_ is married.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura bows. She then readjusts her backpack and sandals.

She hasn't given much of her attention to Sasuke after greeting him, and is busying herself with small tasks before they are left on their own. He can read her so well, even after years of being apart. Sakura still wears her emotions on her face.

"Come back in one piece."

And with those final words, Sasuke and Sakura set out to the north. After many tries and many years, this would be the first time that he accepts her company in his travels.

* * *

><p><strong>Now<strong>

Indra's voice, so awfully similar to his own, resonates in his ears over Sakura's shrieks as they slowly disappear out of his sight. "You are my reincarnation, yet you don't deserve her. I have waited more than a thousand years to be with her, and you will not take that from me."

His limbs are frozen, yet his heart is beating so fast and his blood is boiling with rage. A familiar wave takes over his chest and mind, for he can't do anything else but stay paralyzed under Indra's jutsu. Desperation, anger, fear, loneliness, jealousy, injustice.

Sasuke cannot let this happen again.

* * *

><p><em>Hi! So I don't know whether I should continue this or not. I saw the IndraSaku tag on tumblr and my mind started swimming in and out of endless possibilities. There is an outline of this in my head, and I will write it down in the near future. What do you think?<em>

_Yes? No?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Now**

Sweat and tears are drowning the skin on her face when she feels a pull on her bellybutton. It's a strange sensation, as if the swirling dimensions surrounding her and her captor were blurring into one image and there was an omnipotent force attracting her to a single place. Words cannot describe it easily, but Sakura is too preoccupied recollecting her last memories to think of where she is being taken.

Sasuke's eyes. Sasuke's voice screaming her name in desperation. The look of fear in his face. His extended hand, trying to grab hers.

Her feet land on solid ground, she loses balance, and falls on her knees. She gets up quickly, now free from Indra's tight grip, turns around and charges a punch towards the man with rage in her eyes.

_"What do you want!?"_ she exclaims with a voice so hoarse and so loud that her throat hurts after.

Indra easily dodges her attack, but she does not stop. She is a ninja for a reason, and her survival is of utmost importance when facing one of the first users of chakra in history.

Her next punch is avoided with ease. She feels the blood pumping in her veins, her muscles tensing, her short hair splattered all over her face, mixed with her sweat and tears.

The man, considered an almost deity in the world, has a stoic expression. Indra's lips are curved downwards, his short eyebrows drawn together as he remains unmoved. His blue-lined red eyes gaze back at her panting figure, analyzing her next move.

How could this happen?

This isn't what she and Sasuke-kun had signed up for.

It wasn't even an official mission!

She couldn't distract herself. Her chakra traveled directly to her fist and it glowed with more intensity than ever before she directed it towards Indra's jaw.

"SHANNAROOOO-"

Indra catches her hand midair, catching her by surprise as he brings it down with little to no force.

What happens next remains as one of Sakura's most shocking encounters.

He brings her fist down to her side and envelops his arms around her, constricting any of her movements. His hold has a different sensation than when he kidnapped her into Kami-knows-where. Her mind is blocked from every thought when she feels his face bury between her neck and shoulder.

She cannot move for what feels like an eternity. Indra holds her tighter, not with the intention of capturing her again. It almost feels like he's _protecting_ her. His tall figure crouches, trying to find a deeper connection between his embrace and her static form.

He lifts her feet from the floor as if she was a feather, and softly places a hand on Sakura's petrified head.

"Finally." His voice is deep, divine, omnipresent as it rings in her ears.

She feels something moist in her shoulder. It isn't her sweat or her desperation.

It is Indra's tears.

**Then**

He's gotten taller in the past two years.

That is the only deduction she can make about Sasuke at the moment. Since he left the gates of Konoha, left her with a single promise and a word of gratitude, Sakura cannot think of anything else that has changed about her old teammate.

He's traveled, yes. It was his wish, to travel and see the world with new eyes. That must have changed him.

The absence of his left forearm and hand are sign of a change too. He still does not want to accept the artificial arm, regardless of how the timing could have played on his favour if he had stayed_ one more day_ in Konoha.

Old thoughts aren't going to make her bittersweet. She reminds herself that his departure was for the better; he would not have been happy with himself if he was confined to the walls of the village. He came back, though. He came back and asked for her help specifically, which shows how much he recognizes her significance in the ninja world.

The worn-out grey cloak covers most of his body, concealing his sole arm from the public eye. His clothes do not look in the greatest state and she wishes he had told her beforehand so she could get him a new pair of pants and a shirt. His hair needs some trimming; it's in that awkward length between long and short, and it must bother him.

Does he notice that she has changed too? Not just her merit and intelligence, but her body?

"Sakura." His voice is a few tones deeper.

Their pace isn't fast. This isn't a high-ranked official mission, and it seems that Sasuke has taken the habit of taking his time when traveling for they choose the main roads rather than tree branches. Perhaps he prefers wandering on the ground because he wants to see what's ahead.

Seeing the world with a new set of eyes is what he wanted, she repeats in her head.

"We will stop here."

They find themselves in a small town of no more than fifty people. Sakura has had missions here in during her training; Tsunade would send her away for a couple of days to treat the sick who did not have enough supplies to cure illnesses.

Sasuke stands in front of the only restaurant in sight when she catches up to him. They sit down and silence settles. Sakura wonders if he has gotten too used to his solitude to remember how to have a conversation. Not that he was ever the talking type, anyway.

That's when she catches another thing that's changed about Sasuke. It's something she has felt with his brief letters to Team 7, of how he describes where he's been and what he's seen.

He is a lot more calm than two years ago.

Sakura offers him a warm smile because she doesn't know what else to do. She could be stuck in a room with twenty dying patients, put her hands to work, and succeed. Put her on a mission killing an Akatsuki, or work behind the Hokage's desk when Tsunade is too hungover to bother showing up for work or Kakashi is late. Sure, send her to the moon to try and stop the planet's destruction.

But if there is one thing that she cannot do without feeling confident, it is to sit in front of Uchiha Sasuke after years of separation, reunion, betrayal, amends, and still think that it isn't going to be strange.

"You're a jōnin now."

"And you're still a genin. Sorry," she adds when his eyebrow perks up, "just had to throw that out there."

He chooses to ignore her comment. "Since when?"

"A couple of months ago. Before we went up there." She is referring to that time Ōtsuki Toneri almost blew up the planet.

Their food arrives. Sakura stirs her hot soup, waiting for it to cool down. She notices how Sasuke still has his cloak on, and his hand holding the spoon is the only visible thing from his body other than his legs. He must prefer to conceal the fact that he is missing half of his arm.

"Where were you when it happened?" she asks.

"I was in Konoha."

Sakura almost slips her spoon from her fingers in surprise. He was in Konoha? When? How could she not see him?

"When you were in the moon. Naruto wasn't there to protect the village."

It is a short explanation, but it is enough for Sakura's features to soften at his silent confession. Even if she and Naruto had not been there to witness his brief return to Konoha, the mere fact that he had _protected_ the village was enough for Sakura to know that he still pledged allegiance. That one day he may return, and that she would receive him with open arms because he was were he belonged.

"I'm happy," she says pleasantly.

Her voice is quiet enough for him to hear, and he briefly connects his mismatched eyes with her green ones before focusing on his soup.

"Naruto is still a genin," she decides to comment. It is a huge boost to her confidence that she is the only high-ranking ninja out of Team 7, even though her two old teammates are still more powerful than her. Being a jōnin is a title she earned with tooth and nails.

He snorts. "Not impressed."

"Why weren't you at the wedding?"

Thick silence settles over them once again. Sakura feels that she may be touching upon a sensitive topic, but cannot bring herself to think that Sasuke would feel anything other than contentment for his best friend's nuptials. Perhaps he feels jealous? It would make sense; Naruto finally has what they've both wanted all their lives.

"It slipped out of my mind."

It is Sakura's turn to snort. "Not impressed. You better not do that on _my_ wedding, Sasuke-kun." The comment may be bold, but it seems to peak Sasuke's interest as he once again raises his eyebrow. "It was a nice ceremony. Lots of people showed up. The Hyūga gave them a house that has a view of the Hokage mountain. Naruto couldn't wait to move all of his stuff in there with Hinata. I've never seen him so excited."

"It's a nice house," he comments.

"You saw it?"

"Aa."

"When?" He looks at her. "Oh."

She should have figured out that he went to see Naruto before they met at Konoha's entrance gate. A small tinge of jealousy, the same one that's been present in her existence since the birth of Team 7, reminds her that she is set apart from her two superhuman teammates. It's not that they point out how much stronger they are compared to her, it's that they _show_ it by trying to protect her from every attack. Even after she proved her worth fighting against Madara and Kaguya out of all people, Naruto and Sasuke still choose to leave her one step behind while advancing in their own personal competition.

Jerks.

Her conversation with Sasuke has mostly been about her asking questions and him replying. He's as closed off as ever, and at first she was a bit upset by his sudden interruption to her plans for the coming weeks, but the prospect of going away with Sasuke-kun overrode all of her ill feelings. After all, this was something she'd been dreaming before she was a genin, when she turned into a chūnin, and now gets her chance as a jōnin.

"You're going to be a teacher?"

The gods must be in her favour for all her good deeds.

"Sakura-sensei for you." He gives her that look. Again. "Or rather Sakura-senpai, since I have a higher rank. You've never been one to follow honorifics anyway."

The idea of Sasuke calling her his superior makes her cheeks slightly warm but she tries to ignore it. Their relationship has teammates had significantly changed before Sasuke left Konoha to discover the world. Sakura can argue that they had found a sense of comradeship from the end of the war until his departure. They had spent more time together and he had even acknowledged her wisdom in medical jutsu more than once. They had spent mornings and afternoons together, either at the hospital when he was recovering or walking around the village with Naruto.

Maybe that is why he left with such an unspoken promise. Even after two years, when she thought about his fingers lightly tapping her forehead, it still brought her back to a simpler time and place.

"Your students?"

"One Aburame and two kids from civilian parents. It's going to be interesting."

Sasuke gives one nod in agreement. His black hair covers his forehead and a bit of his eyes, keeping his Rinnegan hidden from others to see. Even if Sasuke had set out to find himself in the world, to Sakura he seems more secluded than ever.

She stores that thought for later examination.

"Next year I will have three brats chasing after cats." A mention of the past brings a small smirk from his lips and she loses herself in it.

"Cats."

"Cats," she repeats. "They will go through the bell test."

Their empty soup plates are taken away by the server, and they sit in the small tavern as the only two guests. It is near noon, the sunlight sneaking into the small windows of the restaurant, giving a faint warm glow.

Sakura feels like reminiscing the past. She wants to talk about their ridiculous first missions and how they created such a strong bond in their team. She wants to hear Sasuke's opinion on the past, on how Team 7 gave him happiness after such a dark period. She's willing to tell him about her own missions as a chūnin, of her training under Tsunade-sama. There are so many things she wants to discuss with him in this small town. Her life, his life, where they are going as individuals and as teammates.

She wants to ask him how he knew she was a medical ninja all those years ago. What living with Orochimaru was like. If he kept a piece of home in his room, if he still keeps the letters they've exchanged for the past two years. What he thought of Konoha when he showed up to protect the village.

But the only two words that come out of her mouth feel heavier than any of her thoughts.

"Why me?"

The man in front of her finds her eyes with his.

"Because I trust you."

He must have noticed how much she's changed, she deduces. She's not scrawny anymore. She's significantly shorter than him. Sometimes she struggles putting on her clothes because of her muscular arms and legs but still stares at her figure in the mirror, knowing that she's no longer carrying the frame of an adolescent. Her vocabulary expands every day. Her hair length is the only thing that remains the same. That and the colour of her attire.

They leave the small town and walk on the road northward. Sakura's body feels significantly warmer than before, and she is quite sure that it isn't because of the soup. She looks at her old teammate walking a few steps ahead of her. She once thought of him as a majestic being, as somebody who would surpass anyone who got in his way.

Now he looks like a wanderer still finding his place in an expanding world.

"Sasuke-kun," she calls him out.

He stops and turns around. Without thinking twice, Sakura wraps her arms around his cloaked figure and gives him a light squeeze. His clothes smell of forest, smoke and soil. She buries her face in them, basking in her old teammate's physical presence, thinking that _finally_ he is here with her. And he _acknowledges_ her.

"Thank you."

**Now**

Her eyes open widely at the sensation in her shoulder. Confusion invades her mind, and a million questions rush in at once and she does not snap out of her static state until Indra sets her back down on her feet.

He still does not let go of her.

Sakura is reminded of the many times she's been enveloped in the same dark chakra and the episodes of comforting Indra's reincarnation when he is in a similar state.

"What do you want from me!?" she screams, pushing him towards the opposite wall of the hollow, obscure room they had arrived in.

She needs to clear her mind, thinking of her rules as a shinobi before charging her next attack to the legendary individual who captured her. Think, think, _think!_

Indra disappears and appears in front of her in the blink a second. At first, she is taken aback by his imposing tall figure. He's even taller than Sasuke, living up to his name of an almost deity. She finds his face right in front of hers, his long dark hair and his gaze reminding her so much of her old teammate that her heart begins to burn.

"I've been waiting and watching you grow until now."

Sakura finds movement in her feet and takes a step back. "What are you talking about?"

She always finds herself asking too many questions to Uchihas.

"Nineteen years is nothing compared to a thousand," Indra continues, his voice resonating in her bones. "You belong to me. He does not deserve to have you."

He disappears in a burst of flames, leaving a disoriented, dumbfounded Sakura.

* * *

><p><em>Whoaaaaa. Thanks for liking this story! I hope this second chapter was up to your expectations :)<em>

_I wanted to post something before Christmas since I will be offline for about a month. I know, I'm sorry. The outline is halfway there though! And I am working on it at the same time as Delivery!_

_What did you think of the three main characters? I imagine Indra a lot like Sasuke and this is something that Sakura will realize as the story progresses. I wanted Sakura to be more confident in herself here. She's a jounin, something that neither of her boys have achieved. So no, don't expect to see a damsel in distress here._

_So far, we've only got two timelines going. "Then" is for Sakura's time with Sasuke, and "Now" is for first clearly leads to the second, and we will see how and why that happens. There will be a time when it all comes together, and a couple of flashbacks that I will most likely label as "Back then" to distinguish from the two main story lines. Is it too confusing? _

_Anyway, happy holidays and a new year!_


	3. Chapter 3

**To the Anon reviewer who told me to go fuck myself for writing this fic, I think you should try to it too! Masturbation is healthy :) It's really sad how you can't even show face and choose to remain nameless. Oh, and you don't like Sakura paired off with multiple people? Not my problem, but you shouldn't hate on fan-made material because that's all it is: fan-made.**

**Then**

"Sasuke-kun, where are we actually going?"

Kakashi had given her a brief summary of the information Sasuke provided. On the second half of their first day together, Sakura can only say that she knows the following details of the trip she is taking with Sasuke: they are going to the north of the Land of Fire because of a strange chakra found in there. Sasuke chose to take her because he trusts her, meaning that this journey is not something that he would take alone. Which, consequently, means that there could be something dangerous lurking in the border with Sound.

Meaning that Sasuke thinks that she can handle whatever dangers they may face. Sakura stopped looking for her teammates' acknowledgement a very long time ago, and managed to keep her emotions in check whenever she felt that Sasuke did not fully understand her potential as a kunoichi. Nonetheless, there is a bragging sense of accomplishment when she knows that he has finally accepted her as an equal.

And with that final note, her confusing thoughts from earlier today vanish from her mind.

However, the young Uchiha still has not answered her question.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He doesn't turn around, continuing to walk down the dirt road with his lips set into a straight line. He knows that if he opens his mouth blood may spill out and Sakura will find out about _it._ He lets a couple of seconds pass, hoping that Sakura does not appear in front of him, and swallows the metallic liquid that had gathered in his mouth before he responds.

"We are heading north," he informs her, fortunate that she isn't too close to smell the bloody scent coming from him.

Sakura begins to walk towards him with a frown on her soft features. "Where north?"

"Sora-ku," he begins to walk again, turning his face away from her direction. "My clan stored munitions there. We will pick up some supplies and then continue."

They continue their journey in silence, both too occupied with their own thoughts to attempt engaging in conversation.

Sakura does not bother asking more questions than he is willing to answer. In spite of their rocky past, she still trusts Sasuke with all of her being. If they are heading somewhere dangerous, then she'd much rather help him than imagine him facing a strong opponent without backup.

If it were up to her, she would go to the end of the world for Sasuke.

**Now**

Sasuke finally feels the limits of his body in its ill state.

Before he makes another move, he has to think, think, _think._

Indra has Sakura, and his last words are a mystery to him. Was his ancestor planning for this to happen? For Sakura to accompany him and then take her from under his nose!? It doesn't make sense.

After all that's happened, all that they have gone through. He. Cannot. Lose. Her.

He feels blood rushing up towards his mouth, but holds it back as he begins to move his legs in the opposite direction from where Sakura and Indra disappeared to.

If he wants to get Sakura back, he needs to have _something_ before making his next move. He's always been one to give all or nothing for something, and he's recently figured out that when it comes to his female teammate, he is willing to give much more than all.

But in order to do that, Sasuke will need help. He doesn't have much time in his hand, but his physical limits would only cost him more damage in the long run.

He has to go back to Konoha, has to speak with _her,_ and then begin his journey to finding where Indra has taken the one person who makes sense in his tormented mind.

**Then**

Sakura notices how kind he is to strangers.

She watches as he picks up a ball from the ground and throws it back to a group of small children playing in the outskirts of the town they are passing by. The three kids wave back at him and yell out their thanks to the strange cloaked wanderer. A small part of her heart warms up when she notices the slight upwards curve of Sasuke's lips as he nods back.

In the past two years of solitary traveling, she wonders how many people Sasuke has met and how his atonement has developed, or if he has changed anyone's life for the better. He would often inform her and Naruto of his whereabouts and what he is up to, but never to the extent of what he is feeling and how he is coping. After all, going through all of the tragedies and turning back from twisted ideologies has definitely taken a toll on Sasuke's physical and mental health.

Sakura can see it from the eye of a medical ninja. She attempts to subject him to an analysis using what she has learned about the mind from Ino and the body from Tsunade. He must have experienced episodes of panic attacks, of flashbacks, of insomnia, and a number of other after effects of having a traumatic past.

Once again, she finds herself thinking about her last confession two years ago, where she clearly stated that if she could, she would have taken all of his pain onto herself. Sakura is beginning to see it like that again, although she knows how Sasuke must endure through his own hardships because he would not deal with them in any other way. She just has to stand strongly by his side, and swear that she will never cause him the same sort of pain as his previous loved ones have.

"Do you like smiling?" she asks out of the blue when they are walking in the centre of the small town.

He looks at her with questioning eyes. "I don't understand."

"I think you've learned how to smile at the small things in life."

Sakura laces her fingers behind her back with her face facing front. A small smile is dancing on her face as well. Yes, her old teammate has changed and has learned to accept gratitude. She just hopes that he sees the good in himself as she has all her life.

"There is a lot that this world has to offer," he simply comments.

Dawn is falling on the sky, turning blue into shades of orange and purple. The townspeople walk in downtown without hurry and without worry for the two shinobi. After the end of the war, and the almost-end of the world, the sight of shinobi from Konoha and other villages unofficially traveling around has become normal for civilians. Perhaps that is why Kakashi could easily dismiss Sakura in spite of her importance to the village; in peaceful times like this, the vast amount of ninjas in the continent was a little unnecessary.

Sakura is fine with it. It's been a while since she had taken time off from her duties in Konoha. Travelling with Sasuke to an unknown destination, where danger could be lurking, isn't her ideal version of a vacation. But she looks to her side and sees that Sasuke-kun is walking beside her, that he is physically present in her surroundings, that he wants her company, and she gradually changes her mind.

This could probably be her best opportunity to relax.

"There is an onsen up ahead. We should stop there for the night and head to Sora-ku tomorrow morning," Sakura suggests.

The hot spring house is one of the smallest ones she has seen in the Land of Fire. It is still beautiful on the inside, reminding Sakura of the several ones she has visited with her parents on her childhood vacations. Their room is small and square, with three walls and one sliding door that leads to the communal hot springs.

Sakura leaves the door open and sits on the edge, taking in the warmth radiating from the steamy water. She has changed into the bathrobe provided with their room and wraps her arms around her knees, and thinks back to the last time she felt so at ease being away from Konoha. It's only been one day, but a part of her mind says that it will be much longer until she is bound to return to the village.

Sasuke sits beside her, and she is reminded as to why she wishes that this journey lasts for several weeks. Her mind keeps dancing back and forth between the relief of being with the one person she's been yearning for and the worries that come with her absence in Konoha.

They remain in silence, Sakura knowing that it takes a while for Sasuke to open up to her after so many years of separation. She knows that they can return to the same level of interaction they had back when they were genin; they already had after the end of the war and before he left.

"Do you think that you would be the same in you had stayed in Konoha?" she asks.

"In what way?"

Sakura thinks of how to explain herself. "In a way that you can accept people doing you favours."

Sasuke closes his eyes for a moment, trying to find the right words to explain the same thoughts that run through his mind every day in his absence from his birthplace. Some would say that he owes a lot to Konoha for letting him live freely, for letting him travel the world with the promise of returning to a position that his brother always wanted him to take. That he should feel lucky of how far his comrades have gone to save him from darkness, that the absence of his left arm could be easily replaced with an artificial one that is exclusively reserved for his own use.

Sasuke hasn't formed a seal in two years, greatly diminishing his chances in a battle though the last thing he would want is to face an opponent. And that is something that he would face everyday if he were to live in Konoha; Team 7 and the officials may be considered forgiving, but the larger population is only aware of his lethal deeds from the past.

It would have eaten him alive.

"No," he finally confesses, and can feel Sakura's form sulking beside him. "I think that I wouldn't have found redemption in Konoha. I would have been happy with you and Naruto, but never with myself." He chooses his next words carefully. "My resentment... it would have come back. I would have very well tried to destroy Konoha because I would have been surrounded by reminders of my past."

It is Sakura's turn to choose silence. This is the answer she had been waiting to hear for the past two years, and it is what she expects but finds herself disappointed. Her seventeen year old self would have wanted to hear Sasuke say that staying in the village was a better option for it would mean that all of her loved ones were within the same walls. However, knowing that it would not have been healthy for someone as scarred as Sasuke to remain confined to one place also makes sense.

She bites her lower lips, tilting her head until it rests on the sliding door. "I think I understand now," she says softly. "You're too restless to stay in one place, especially Konoha."

"..."

"Are you... are you happy now, Sasuke-kun?"

He looks down to his lap, thinking of how happiness once felt like.

"I think it's too difficult to say that I'm happy. I need more answers before I make up my mind and go back for good."

She wants to say that she could bring happiness to his life, but knows that after many years it is just an empty promise. With all that Sasuke has gone through, he must find happiness on his own. She would be waiting at the end of the journey anyway. That is what her mind has made up from her time waiting. She would wait for him forever, knowing that he would come back to her, but she's learned that some healing cannot be done with her own hands.

Yes, Sakura has also grown up during his absence. She goes back to wonder if he's noticed that the changes go beyond her intelligence and maturity.

"You still protected the village."

She can hear the low chuckle forming in his throat.

"That's what he would have wanted," Sasuke says and they fall back into silence.

"Do you think about it everyday? About him?"

Sasuke informed her of the truth behind the Uchiha massacre two years ago, when she accompanied him to pay respects to his family in a new tombstone.

"There was a time when I thought that it was all in the past, that I could look into the future without having to remind myself of the things that have happened. But then I think of how much my brother has affected me and how happy he would be with my resolve."

Itachi's significance in his life is not something he's openly shared with Sakura. After the end of the war, he told her about his family's past as part of his apology; he wanted to make up for all those missed opportunities that he could have had in being a friend to her. Sure, it was easier to confide with Naruto, but Sakura was his teammate too and it was about time that he began to pay attention.

She shifts her body, pointing her knees towards him giving him all of her attention. Sakura cannot remember the last time that Sasuke has said so much to her. Though he is very brief with his letters, he has shown at times how much goes on his mind mind and it makes her realize how lost he's been for the majority of his life. His only guide is a dead brother who was forced to become a criminal. It has put things into perspective for her, such as why he tends to push people away.

He's only now learning how to accept help from her.

It may seem bold to Sakura's mind, but she feels the urge of reaching out her hand and touching his arm. She lands it gently on what is left of his limb, wondering how he's survived all these years without the need of his left hand. But then again, this is Uchiha Sasuke. He is one of the most resilient shinobi Sakura has ever known. And perhaps this is his way of punishing himself for all his past mistakes.

"Sasuke-kun, I..." at fist she does not know how to convey what her mind goes through every time she thinks of how much he's suffered. "I'm proud of you," she finishes softly.

Sakura does not look at his face, choosing to focus on the bamboo floor to hide the blush in her cheeks, but hopes that there is a ghost of a smile in his face. He's never been one to receive her signs of affection, but after years of holding in all the feelings she's harboured from him in his absence, Sakura feels that she deserves to at least show them in the smallest ways.

"I still can't believe he married," he comments after a silent pause.

Sakura's eyebrows raise in surprise. "I couldn't believe it at first either. Naruto's smiling a lot more now, especially when he cleans the house."

"That's weird."

"It really is."

They continue talking about the mundane aspects of their teammate's life and then move on to other topics. Sakura tells him about Ino's efforts to get Sai's attention; of how the villages are in such good terms that delegates from Kumo and Suna have been sent to form diplomatic ties with Konoha; of how Kakashi is still late for work at least once a week and she has to personally wake him up by threatening to punch a hole in all of his home's walls.

Sasuke shares some of his experiences too, much to her surprise. He talks about the places he's been and he's written about, like Uzushio's ruins, the Great Naruto Bridge, or Ame where his brother lived for many years. He finds how easy it is to describe those things to Sakura and tries to find a reason as to why he hasn't done it before. She is a good listener, attentive and expressive to all of the things he has to say. How much more has he overlooked in the past decade?

He watches her sleep with her head leaned on the egde of the sliding door, her lips slightly parted and a serene expression in her soft features. Sasuke wants to reach out his right hand, but it diverts its course to his chest when he feels a sharp pain.

It's happening again.

Blood travels up from his throat to his mouth, and the familiar taste is back in his palate before he can control his lungs. His chest rises up and down in jagged motions, and he has to get up from the floor before Sakura wakes up and notices his state.

With unheard footsteps, Sasuke runs toward the closest hot spring and separates his lips, expelling the red fluid from his body. He covers his mouth with his hand and looks at his reflection in the steaming water.

Blood runs down his chin and jaw, his skin is pale as white, his hair is long and disheveled. He looks just like Itachi did before he collapsed and died.

Sasuke's eyes narrow, thinking that these episodes may begin to happen more often. He's waited too long, and needs to find the cure. Heading north is the only option he has left. He washes his mouth with the same warm water, rinsing his teeth and spitting out more red liquid until he is clean. His heartbeat had picked up during this last episode, but, unlike other times, he is able to breathe normally.

He looks back to the slumbering figure of his teammate. Sakura hasn't moved an inch since he left her side. Sasuke sits back down beside her, tricking his mind that the last minute never happened and that her presence should make him _feel_ safe. It's all just imagination, a part of him says. His body is decaying and only _one_ person knows the answer to this.

It still does not limit him from wrapping his arm around Sakura's waist and softly bringing her sleeping head from the wall towards his shoulder. He lets it rest there for the rest of the night, thinking that this form of selfish comfort is the only one he should be allowed to get. It clears his mind from his lung, focusing on the pink hairs that casually tickle the side of his face and contrast with his black ones.

Sasuke wonders if he can keep it a secret from her for much longer. Sakura is a very intelligent shinobi, a jōnin, and a person he truly trusts. She is entitled to know why he's taken her away from her beloved Konoha for an -unofficially- indefinite amount of time. More importantly, she is one of the best medical ninjas and would go to the end of the world to heal him.

He should be learning how to accept help, shouldn't he?

**Now**

Sakura stares at the place where Indra stood in not more than a second ago. The smoke that follows the flames is almost invisible, and she is snapped out of her state with the natural instinct to answer all the questions.

Before she begins to form the right theory in her mind, she needs to know about her situation. Sakura's eyes travel around the obscure, hollow, infinite room she is in. She is a jonin for a reason after all, and will definitely not be waiting until someone comes and saves her. She is no damsel in distress; she is a kunoichi from Konohagakure and she begins to formulate a plan in her mind.

However, first and foremost, she has to learn where Indra has taken her.

* * *

><p><em>Woaaaaa you people are amazing! <em>

_I'm sorry this chapter didn't feature much of Indra. I know a lot of you are excited to see what happens with him and so am I!_

_I'd like to clarify a few things, though. While this is a love triangle (and my first one to write), it will take a different course as the story progresses. SasuSakura is my number one OTP and everything and I'm so happy they're canon, but that's a story for another time. The IndraSaku aspect will be further developed as Sakura spends more time with him and finds out a couple things. Now, I am not saying that that she will have to choose between the two, but that all of the events happening now and in future chapters will culminate into one thing that will hopefully make sense in the end!_

_Keep up the positive vibes my people! It's almost 2015, SasuSaku is canon and it inspires me to write, Digimon is coming back next Spring, there will be more Naruto-related stuff coming soon too! It's a good time to be alive._

_Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Next chapter for this story and Delivery will come in either January or February. _

_MSM_


	4. Chapter 4

**Then**

Sakura does not want to open her eyes. She feels how Sasuke takes her waist and pulls her close to him, letting her head rest on his shoulder as he doses off to sleep. His hand does not leave her waist and he places his chin on her head, his pulse near her ear. She hears it slowly calm down to its normal speed while hers begins to pick up.

Sasuke smells of blood and bile and it worries her. She chooses not to wake up and ask him why with the fear that he will shut her off, and of the answer that he might give her.

He is sick, that she can easily tell. The thought of how critical his condition is makes her heart skip on her chest, dreading that if he does not seek help he will not make it. How much longer is he thinking of hiding this from her?

The thoughts racing through her mind guarantee that she will not sleep well that night, in spite of being the very first time that Sasuke makes a move to show affection towards her. She just hopes that he chooses to ask for her help in getting better. She cannot think of a world without him present.

His breathing becomes relaxed, showing Sakura that he has finally fallen asleep. She opens her eyes and stares at the communal hot spring in front of them, thankful for the steam it produces and prevents them from getting cold. This is the first time they fall asleep in each other's arms, and Sakura wonders if he's ever done it with someone else before.

The pangs of pain that come to her chest are not from jealousy or any other emotion, but from the thought that he may not have much time left for something like this to happen again. Although she pretended to be asleep, Sakura heard how Sasuke had thrown up in the water and then cleaned his face. She can still smell the metallic scent from his mouth, this time choosing to let it pass and not ruin the moment.

Sakura is one of the best medic ninja for a reason, and her mind is already beginning to diagnose what Sasuke has.

But she is finding it difficult to pretend that nothing is happening while she feels her insides deteriorate alongside his. If something incurable were to happen to him, Sakura does not think she would be able to continue living.

**Now**

Where?

Where is she?

The question dances on Sakura's mind on an endless loop. She looks her surroundings, her eyes only finding dark wide corridors with a ceiling so high that it is almost invisible. After she exited the room where Indra has left her, she took the decision to figure out the fortress she's being held in.

Her heartbeat is slowly picking up from panic and restlessness.

Sakura's footsteps echo in the emptiness of her surroundings. It almost feels like she is stuck in an abandoned ancient palace. She begins to assess her thoughts. Sakura has to squint her eyes to try and find the end of the corridor but nothing is located. She looks down to her feet, noticing how the dark wood creaks every time she moves. The walls are made out of a similar concrete as the ones in Konoha's hospital, but if this is really an old building, then she guesses that its materials are ancient too.

She hears the faint wheezing of wind coming from behind her and turns swiftly, trying to find the source of that noise. The corridor is endless on the other side as well, but it seems to hold more answers for Sakura. Her legs take her running towards the opposite direction.

The sound of her heavy breathing is the only thing that bounces on the walls. She keeps running and running for what feels like an eternity. Sakura is quickly reminded of the first time she saw a fifteen year old Sasuke after running through the labyrinth of Orochimaru's hideout.

No, she tells herself closing her eyes. Don't think about that. Keep your mind in this reality and focus _focus_ on getting out of this mystery.

For Kami's sake, she's a jounin. She's gone to the moon, faced Kaguya herself, and now has to challenge once again another of the Ōtsutsuki clan's crazy members. Indra seems to be confusing her with another. His puzzling words dance on her mind as her legs keep moving.

What does he mean by waiting for a thousand years? And why come now to the world when it is at peace?

Sakura feels afraid that Indra's reappearance would be a bad omen. Not to mention that he is the only person with answers. Answers that she and Sasuke tried to find before the worst happened. She lets out a quiet whimper unconsciously, thinking of how shattered and grey the world is going to feel now that she cannot go back to Sasuke-kun and has been abducted by the one person who can help them.

Seriously, what are this guy's intentions!?

Her footsteps halt when her eyes recognize a large wooden door on her right side. Sakura turns her head, her ears picking up the faint sound coming from it. She realizes that the door isn't completely closed, and has to apply chakra so that her arms can push it open for her body to fit in.

The breeze increases when she enters another room with an endless ceiling. This one is faintly lit by fire torches held on the cold walls, hence making it easier for Sakura to adjust her eyes.

She notices how this room is also quite different from the one she had been transported into. Her brow wrinkles when she realizes that it is filled with... stuff.

Sakura tilts her head in confusion. After she notices one artifact, her eyes begin to make out more items laying on the floor, of large panels hung on the walls and immense scrolls rolled and tucked in the corners of the room.

What is this place?

The weapons scattered around the room are what get most of her attention. There are old swords, bows and arrows, a gunbai, and several kunai and shuriken. Her eyes move to the portraits on the walls, all of them coming from different time periods judging by their quality. She beings to walk towards the portraits, all of them neatly displayed on the walls.

They are paintings of people who have passed, she presumes. Most likely of member of the Ōtsutsuki clan who have done something important in the past. Has she been taken to the clan's old home and stumbled upon the weapons' room?

Or is this an ancient shrine to the clan members who had once wielded these weapons and now rest protected by them?

Sakura is not thinking properly. Her mind feels clouded with these faces painted on the canvases, all of their eyes somehow directed at her. It is as if they are observing every one of her moves and she feels a chill going up her spine thinking that maybe the people on the portraits are actually alive. She has to close her eyes for a moment to calm her nerves and -once again- reassess her situation.

She has been kidnapped by Ōtsutsuki Indra, the same person who was reincarnated in Sasuke. He has taken her to an unknown destination, an old palace that seems to have been abandoned many centuries ago and holds endless corridors, weapons' rooms and portraits that seem to come to life. Indra has spoken very confusing words, and Sakura is beginning to think that finding answers from him will not be as easy as she and Sasuke initially thought.

"You've found it."

Sakura jumps at the sound of a voice coming from behind her. Get it together! She turns around and finds Indra leaning against the door, looking at her. How long has he been standing there for? Why wasn't she able to sense him?

"You must feel exhausted and disoriented, Sakura." How does he know her name? "Please, take-"

"What do you want!?" she interrupts. It seems like those are the only words that come out of her mouth when she faces Indra's tall and imposing figure.

He takes a deep breath, briefly seeming more human than what the legends say. "Please, take your time to adjust." His voice does not falter.

"Adjust?"

"To here."

"To... w-where are we?" The thought of being stuck in a genjutsu has crossed Sakura's mind, but she would have broken from it long ago.

Indra begins to walk towards her, the two strands of dark hair framing his face moving accordingly with his steps. Sakura adopts a fighting stance, ready to have another go at the legend. If something happens, she vows to go down with a fight.

However, she is unable to move when Indra lifts a hand, freezing her body with the intense gaze of his Sharingan.

"Please, we must not fight."

He gets closer and closer, until his lifted hand holds her chin. Sakura's face looks up at him with a perplexed expression. It seems to set something off in Indra's mind, for his eyes go back into their original dark colour and his hardened jaw softens. He seems to be thinking -or rather, remembering- something that happened a very long time ago.

It is the same nostalgic expression Sasuke makes when she catches him lost in the memory of his diseased family. And Sakura's heart clenches at that reminder, that she hasn't even tried to contact him, that the last memory she has of Sasuke-kun is of the desperate and lost face of the person she's loved all of her life.

"Even after a thousand years, you're still the same." His fingers caress her cheek. "You haven't changed much. I feel... happy."

Indra's eyes adopt a melancholic expression. He seems to be once again lost in his thoughts, giving Sakura the opportunity to fight against the invisible force that is keeping her body petrified.

She charges chakra into all of her limbs, gathering as much force as possible until she is able to break from Indra's control.

She pushes him towards the wall with all the portraits and darts towards the door. Much to her dismay, Indra seems to possess the same lightning speed as Sasuke and blocks her from exiting. His figure appears mere inches away from hers, his arms stretched to prevent her from crossing to the other side. Sakura notices how the top of her head only reaches to his chest, and is ready to form a seal with her hands when Indra's face comes close to her own.

His eyes are still in their original colour, and he is expression shows that he is not taking her seriously. Indra is simply looking at her from up close, taking in every small change in her features that may show what she is thinking of doing next.

She cannot fight like this. Heck, she cannot even leave this place if there is a living legend preventing her from going back to where she comes from!

"What is this place?" she grits through her teeth, frustrated at how even Sasuke's ancestor cannot take her as a real opponent to begin with.

"You'll find out soon enough," he answers with such a simplicity in his tone of voice that it makes Sakura's blood boil.

Her breathing becomes heavy again, this time with anger. "Take me back. Take me back to Sasuke-kun, otherwise he will... he will..."

She cannot even bring herself to say those words. No, they must find another solution. She just needs to get back with Sasuke, get some research done, and they will only have to remember this instance as 'that weird time when Indra mistakenly took Sakura.'

"There is no way I can do that."

Sakura feels that her heart freezes for a moment. Why? _WHY!?_

Indra ignores her silent pleads, instead focusing on other subjects. "Like I said before, you must feel rather exhausted. Come."

He wraps his arms around Sakura and she feels the same pull on her belly button, panic beginning to invade her insides thinking of where Indra will take her. Her feet get off the ground and she feels her body twirl. Much sooner than expected, they both land on the ground and Sakura finds herself inside another room.

Just how many damn rooms does this place have?

It is square, with a closed window on one side while a traditional bed lay on the floor. Sakura stares at the room in confusion until Indra speaks again.

"This is your bedchamber."

"What do you want from me?" she finds herself repeating the same questions.

"Take your time to rest. There is a lot more for you to see and it is better if you sleep before we continue."

Continue what?

"I can't understand what you're saying."

She realizes that he is still holding on to her, and quickly frees herself from his arm, taking a step back. Whatever is going on in Indra's mind, he must have mistaken her for someone else.

Indra's expressionless eyes stare back at her. "You need to adjust first. You need to remember-"

"Remember what!? You're not making any sense and I keep asking you questions that you do not answer!" Sakura's voice raises. "I need to get back to Sasuke-kun, and you're holding me hostage for something I don't even know." She cannot lose any more time. "I have to go. You must have mistaken me for someone else, and you should bring me back to where we were before."

The next words that come from Indra's mouth make Sakura's world spin around her. She feels the bile coming up from her stomach, her need to hold on to something until she breaks her fingers, then her arms and shoulders and she is left on the floor feeling the pain that is supposed to wake her up. But she can't. She finds herself unable to.

"You are Haruno Sakura of Konohagakure," Indra begins. "It is impossible for you to leave this place and go back to my reincarnation. He does not deserve to have you and I have waited a millennium for you. We are no longer in the same reality known as your home."

She is finding it difficult to inhale air as he continues speaking.

"Our time and space is different from the reality you come from. By now, all you've known is long gone and forgotten."

No.

"I don't believe you," Sakura confesses, her hands clenched into fists. "That's impossible."

Shinobi can play with different dimensions. She's learned that from Kakashi, Obito, and even Kaguya. Nobody has ever traveled through time and space; Indra must be hiding the truth from her for his own advantage. Although an answer was given to her questions, Sakura is still left with the same mystery dancing in her mind.

She cannot find a reason as to why Indra, out of all the god-like creatures in the world, would find an interest in taking her out of all the living shinobi. Yes, she is one of the strongest kunoichi in all of the countries, and with a promising career in every aspect of the word. However, she does not come from an ancient clan or have a secret genetic technique like the Uchiha or the Hyuuga.

Her background is about as average any other shinobi who does not come from a ninja family. Sure, her perfect chakra control is a talent not exhibited in any other of her relatives, but she's always thought that she was lucky to get it, and every medic ninja that she knows has the same skill. Aside from that, there is absolutely nothing special that would seem worthy of getting captured over.

Much less getting captured by a legend that manifested himself out of nowhere and is taking the life away from the man she loves.

"You will eventually grow accustomed to it. For now, please rest. We will see each other soon."

Indra leaves her alone in the room, closing the door behind him without giving Sakura time to process his last words. She still cannot wrap her mind around the nonsense explanation he gave her. It is impossible, just simply impossible, for her to be stuck in a time and place that isn't hers.

Sakura cannot believe Indra's words. She has to keep on thinking that Konoha exists, with Naruto, Kakashi, Ino, her parents. That she is stranded in a palace that is simply far away from her home and that she will find her way back.

That Sasuke-kun is still alive somewhere, fervently looking for her. That he has not collapsed in the middle of nowhere, all alone and helpless.

No, don't let the tears fall. She is nineteen years old, a jonin, and no longer in need of crying to find comfort. Sasuke is still breathing. Konoha is still standing. She just needs to leave this place and return to them, and if a fight against Indra is necessary then she will give her all.

The ancient legend does not know who he is messing up with.

**Then**

Sora-ku is something Sakura has never seen before. Her eyes wander from the tall and grey abandoned buildings to the littered streets. There is not even a soul to be found in the place, and she can only follow Sasuke without even knowing where he is taking them.

He seems to know the place very well, which makes sense. If this used to be a place where the Uchiha held their weapons, then Sasuke must have visited more than once during his time as a rogue ninja.

"We are going this way," he points towards the right, making a turn into one of the abandoned buildings.

It leads them down into a tunnel lit by fluorescent light. Sakura feels something soft touch her leg and jumps when she hears a purring sound. She looks down and finds a brown coloured cat rubbing its tail on her calf.

"Cats?" she asks with a feeling of deja vu.

"Ninneko," Sasuke replies without paying attention.

They find a large space at the end of the tunnel. Sakura looks around in wonder. There are cats of every colour and breed roaming around, meowing and purring as they make their way to the centre. The animals lock their eyes on her moving form, as if they were analyzing her next step. Ninja cats. Sakura cannot remember the last time she encountered one. They are not very friendly to humans and prefer to live isolated.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun. I thought I'd never see you again."

An old lady appears from the shadows. If it weren't for her size, Sakura would have confused her with another cat. She has long grey hair, which is held back with a pair of cat ears. Her nose is painted black to mimic a cat's, and she wears a loose orange dress.

And she seems to know Sasuke pretty well.

"Nekobaa."

* * *

><p><em>Why hello lovely people! Thank you so much for all your support!<em>

_Sorry for the long wait, I was out of the country enjoying some sun in the fatherland. Just like I promised, there is more Indra in this chapter. The story keeps moving, and Sakura is obviously aware of Sasuke's mysterious conditions. What do you folks think he has? What do you think of the story so far?_

_Indra is trying to be gentle with Sakura, but he's so damn mysterious that all of his smooth moves make no sense lol. Poor kid, he's been out of the dating game for a whiiiiiile. What does he mean by "you've found it?" and do you think Sakura is right by not believing him?_

_I know the chapter ended in a very filler way, but I don't think there is a reason to include some small talk between Nekobaa and the SasuSaku pair. More will be discussed in the next chapter. _

_Have a very amazing week! Delivery will be updated next, I promise._

_MSM_


	5. Chapter 5

**Now**

A small trail of blood falls slowly sound from the side of his mouth. Sasuke runs is thumb through it, then struggles drawing a straight line down his palm. This is the first time he tries a summon technique, and has already found the faults of having one hand to call for help. Not for much longer, he thinks.

He slams his palm down on the ground and a large cloud appears in front of him, which reveals two pairs of wings the size of his body and a large beak with red marks. Garuda stands tall and proud, still willing to serve his master in spite of their lack of contact for two years. Sasuke pats the head of the large hawk, who lowers it as a form of accepting the affection.

Sasuke climbs on the back of Garuda. "Take me to Konoha," he instructs.

Once they depart, Sasuke looks back on the sight he's left behind. Ruins, and more ruins. It would have been a lot easier to just summon Garuda on the first place and fly him and Sakura around rather than use their feet for travelling. However, Sasuke was -and still is- aware of the physical strain that using any jutsu can put on his body.

He's seen how it made Itachi collapse before he died, and has even tried to reach his limit himself. His body weakens so much that it feels like his sickness is invading more than just his lungs. He cannot even use his Rinnegan without suffering dire consequences. And now, that he was _so close_ to finding answers, he has to return to his old village to save the only hope he has of surviving in a better world. His past keeps catching up to him even though he wants to move on.

The ruins just keep getting smaller and smaller as he flies away from where he lost Sakura.

**Then**

Sakura is not used to sleeping around cats. Yes, sleeping outside in the forest while on a mission is a common part of her profession, but even then she does not acknowledge that there are visible animals around her. There is nothing wrong with it, except for when she is trying to change into more comfortable clothes and three cats appear out of nowhere, leaving her with the impression that they have been present in the room for much longer than she'd thought, keeping an eye on every single one of her moves.

She ignores them, aware that provoking ninneko can leave worse scars than fighting against a giant Ten-Tailed Beast. The room that Nekobaa offered her is small and bare, except for the old small bed placed in one corner, the dim light that hangs from the low ceiling, a night table and a chair. At least it is not like the old woman's sleeping quarters, which Sakura is sure that must be decorated in feline regalia and even comes with a sandbox.

She has to stop the giggle that wants to escape from her mouth, for she notices Sasuke walking past her in the hallway. He is still dressed in his everyday clothes, having left his worn out cloak in his own room. He turns to look at her with a raised eyebrow, but then averts his look as his chest tenses up.

He is not having one of his attack in front of Sakura like this, he tells himself.

"Sasuke-kun," she calls for him, walking out of her room and joining him in the hallway. "I should check your left arm." She's noticed how he maintains it hidden, and sometimes stubbornly ignores the discomfort he feels from her medical eyes.

"No," he says bluntly.

He then continues walking down the hallway, leaving a dumbfounded Sakura behind until she catches up to him again. They both enter the main room in Nekobaa's home, which has a high ceiling, no windows and dim lighting. Just like Sakura imagined, the main room is filled with decorations of cats, ranging from small statues to large carpets hanging from the walls.

The three eat in silence, until Nekobaa gets up from her seat and excuses herself with giving attention to her cats. It is clear that the old woman does not interact with humans often, based on her manners. Nevertheless, Sakura does not feel the need to make a comment considering that they are getting free room and board tonight.

She then turns to her old teammate, who is picking on the food of his plate without much appetite. The image reminds Sakura of the significant contrast between the calm and dampened version and the overpowered, glorified Sasuke she had known for most of her life. He must still carry the same amount of power and strength -Sasuke is not one to stop training even if the world is at peace- but chooses to remain untroubled.

However, the slight flinch on his face catches her attention.

"I really think I should check on your arm," Sakura insists again.

"It's fine."

And he's as stubborn as a donkey.

"Have you ever had it checked?"

"Yes."

"I mean, after you left Konoha?"

There is a pregnant pause before his answer.

"No."

Another long moment of silence.

She has done it many times before with Naruto's half limb, aware that keeping an eye on it prevents undesirable infections. In reality, though, she could not move on with the urge to check what is wrong with his body. He's sick and decides to conceal it from her; the only way for her to help him is to do so covertly.

"I have my medical supplies with me just in case you need something for your arm," Sakura offers to no avail.

"Sakura," he sets his chopsticks down and looks at her in that same way he used to when she thought about his former Cursed Seal. "Just drop it."

She has to drop her gaze, focusing on the small red stain on the floor before regaining her composure. Fine, he can live with his stubborn, thick skull until he cannot survive without her help. Sakura already knows that the best way for Sasuke to get better (which is a thought that causes her heart to become ten times heavier) is to come to her.

"Then... how did you meet Nekobaa?"

**Now**

When Sakura opens her eyes, she finds herself lying on her back in her bed with the blankets covering up to her shoulders. She cannot recall when she fell asleep, how, and for how long. Her heartbeat quickens with panic at this realization; she's not one to sleep in or lose track of how many hours her eyes remain closed.

She sits up in the comfortable mattress, her skin appreciating the softness of the silk sheets while the sunlight enters into her room through the opened window. Her arms and legs feel much more relaxed than her last time awake, yet she is still wearing her everyday clothes. It seems that she had fallen asleep without changing into her sleepwear, which surprisingly does not bother her.

Her spacious room is too bright to continue sleeping, she concludes. Giving a long stretch of her arms and a last yawn, Sakura gets up from her bed and walks towards the window. The sound of waves hitting the shore bring a sense of calmness to her ears; the beach nearby feels like it is pulling her into an enchanting state.

The waves, sand, and endless ocean seem so small from up here, but she's felt its grains between her toes and the saltiness of the water with her tongue to know that this beach is infinite.

Sakura takes in a deep breath, turning around to face her room once again.

Wait.

Her room...?

Since when is this her-?

A flash of images hits her head so hard that she has to hold herself up against the wall, with her back hitting the concrete in shock. First she sees a desperate Sasuke, then her arrival in this place, then the room of rare artifacts she discovered.

Then Indra.

Indra.

Her eyes widen, finally remembering what and who is keeping her from coming back to her reality. Sakura recalls the last thing before she opened her eyes not too long ago. The old legend had informed her that she is in a different time and space, that her friends and family and home no longer exist. And it feels like a thousand daggers stab her heart.

The door to the bedroom blasts open after she lands her fist on its centre. Sakura runs down the unknown hallway, guessing that it must be on a different floor from the portion she had discovered yesterday. She cannot believe how her guard could have gone down like that; she cannot remember when she fell asleep, or rather, _how._

And the only person who has the answers to all the twists in her mind is the last person -or deity, or whatever- that she wants to encounter.

She finds him where the sounds of the sea are loudest. There is a large terrace at the end of the hallway she runs in. It bears no furniture, its floor and barrier are made out of the same unknown concrete as the rest of the castle (and at this point she is already convinced that Indra has taken her to his personal castle).

Indra is sitting cross legged, his back facing her and his front facing the infinite blue landscape. His body is covered in a white, loose fitting robe tied with a black rope at his waist. His shoulders aren't tense, his hands resting on his knees with their open palms facing the sky. The calm breeze of the ocean air moves his long dark hair slightly, becoming the only indication that he is not a real statue.

His meditating stance is a contradiction to the storm constantly building inside her chest.

She finds her feet frozen in place as he speaks. "You've woken up. I am glad that you rested."

He's standing in front of her before she has the chance to say a word.

Indra's chest is almost touching the tip of her nose, while his deep voice resonates from above. Sakura knows that in order to hear him better she has to look up, but takes a step back with his sudden closeness.

"Show me how strong you are."

"What-"

The unexpected order surprises her. Indra takes no time in hesitation; he appears a few meters far from Sakura, adopting a fighting stance that reminds her too much of a certain somebody.

"I've seen you fight, Haruno Sakura. Show me what you know."

**Then**

The hunch in her back should have told her that this was going to happen.

She hears knuckles slightly tapping on her door, and Sakura rolls her eyes before she gets up from her bed. She is met with a Sasuke that reminds her of their genin days. He's looking at the floor with a similar insecurity that has tried so hard to conceal; his hair is uncovered, and his sleeping cloak rests on his shoulders hiding the lack of his left forearm.

Just drop it he said. Yeah, right.

Sasuke doesn't say anything as he makes his way into her room. His eyes are still locked on the floor, yet he finds his way to the chair on the opposite corner to Sakura's bed. He sits down, takes a deep breath, and takes off his cloak. Underneath, he is wearing a worn out dark blue long sleeve, and he rolls up the left sleeve until the stump on his arm is visible.

Sakura just crosses her arms and shakes her head. "I thought you said you didn't want to get it checked." Though his missing limb is the last of her worries.

"I changed my mind."

And she has to stop her heart from dropping ten floors, imagining that the real reason he wants to get checked is a lot more noticeable than he thinks. Sakura has to hand it to him; he's kept his mysterious condition a secret for some time and it doesn't seem that he's asked anyone to look it over. She can tell that it's been happening for a while but still cannot fathom how long he's had to struggle with it.

The metallic smell of blood is strong when she sits on her bed and extends her hands to reach his left arm. Green glow flows from her fingers, seeping into his scarred skin. Before Sasuke departed two years ago, Sakura and Tsunade-sama had ensured that his wound would close nicely, and that his stump was shaped in a way that enabled to attach a prosthesis. In spite of his initial refusal, he followed all the other procedures to recover healthily, such as physical therapy and muscle exercises to maintain the remaining part of his arm working properly.

He was also prescribed a list of medications to prevent the wound from opening again, as well as a cream that Sakura _knew_ he could only find in Konoha.

"You haven't applied the scarring cream we gave you," her words sound more like a reprimand than a question.

Sasuke chooses to remain silent. "Well, that's obvious," Sakura continues. "Any phantom limb pains?" He shakes his head. "Good. If you still have them now then it means that your recovery has been poor."

Her fingers continue to weave through the veins and tissue of his left arm, travelling from the stump up to his shoulders. His right elbow rests on the night table, his chin resting on his hand.

"Sometimes it's sensitive," he says.

"That's because you haven't asked me for the scarring cream," Sakura reprimands, thinking of how many times she's played this scene out in her imagination. "Just like I thought. You've caught a minor infection in your soft tissue." She taps the place where his skin is slightly redder with her index finger.

His mouth twisted in a grimace at the sensation. Yes, initially he did not want to worry Sakura with the tenderness he felt, but waiting until it bothered him to no avail was not the right option either. Not to mention that letting Sakura check on him means that she would discover something else, if she hasn't had already.

Sakura clicks her tongue in disapproval, "You haven't kept up with the proper treatment, Sasuke-kun."

She rubs her index against her thumb, letting her touch understand what it could from tapping into one of paths to check his flow of chakra. It feels normal, yet there is something that sets it off, something that Sakura has never encountered before. It feels like a dark manifestation that is slowly spreading through all of his body. Judging by the smell of blood and coughing, Sakura can already tell that it has affected his lungs and part of his trachea. The infection in his arm has nothing to do with it; there is a much more serious force playing out behind Sasuke's mysterious illness.

Whatever Sasuke is trying to hide is still beyond her knowledge, which only makes her more difficult to breathe. She's witnessed and experimented with a vast range of pathological studies, with and without chakra, but this does not compare to any of her previous experiences. And to find out what it is, she would have to ask him questions that she is not ready to voice.

So she has to continue pretending, at least until he opens up about it. It's an unprofessional thought, as a medic nin's main duty is to save lives, but Sakura knows enough about her old teammate to understand that he will not accept her help even if she begs him.

Sasuke looks right into her eyes, making it even more difficult to conceal her confirmed discovery.

... Or would it be that he wants her to know, but is too afraid to say the actual words? Is it easier for him to make her find out this way?

"Sasuke-kun, I-"

"Thank you."

"O-oh, you're welcome," she is taken aback and tucks a piece of hair behind her earlobe. "I think it's best if you stay here tonight so that I can disinfect your arm. It's not a big procedure, but I'd like to keep it under watch for a couple of hours until it's fully clean."

She gets off her bed, leading him to get tucked in before he can make any demands.

"Here," she sits on the chair he was previously in. "Just fall asleep. I'll work on it meanwhile."

She gives his arm one last check up, pointing out the place where the minor infection is located.

"I can't sleep," Sasuke confesses while she prepares his scarring cream.

"Is it bothering you?" he nods once and Sakura quickly checks on his arm. "It'll soothe soon. Give it a minute or two."

She continues preparing his cream, thankful to have all of the necessary ingredients packed in her travelling bag. He has his mismatched eyes covered with his right forearm, but Sakura knows that he is still wide awake.

"Sasuke-kun, where are we heading next?"

Well, if he is not willing to close his eyes for a few hours, then she may as well find out more about their unofficial mission.

He stirs a little, accommodating his body in the small bed, before answering. "To Oto."

"Oh. Orochimaru?"

"Yes."

"You've kept in touch with him?"

"Kind of."

She tilts her head slightly, giving more of her attention to her old teammate than to the ointment she is preparing. "And what does Orochimaru have to do with the strange chakra?"

"He's gathered some information about it, and I want to examine it."

"Information about what?"

He takes a deep breath, uncovers his eyes, and sits up his body before fully turning to her. This is not going to be a night with a lot of sleep for neither of them, it appears.

"About my ancestor, Ōtsutsuki Indra."

**Now**

"Uchiha, what are you doing here?"

Breaking in the former Hokage's home in the middle of the night is not the best idea of first time visits, but Sasuke does not care about anything except for Sakura at this point.

Tsunade does not appreciate the gigantic hawk that has landed on her rooftop, and much less its owner who had woken her up. Her brow frowns at noticing that the brat is alone, and a thousand theories begin to form in her head at the absence of her beloved apprentice.

Sasuke barely manages to hop off of Garuda's back before falling on his knees and spitting blood on the ground. It does not matter that Tsunade sees him this way, this situation is much too urgent to give priority to his health. He senses the woman's approach and her hand resting on his shoulder before bringing him back up on his feet with minimal force.

"My arm," he is able to say. "I need it."

"Where's Sakura?"

God dammit, there's no time for questions!

He holds out his left arm, gesturing her to immediately begin with the surgery because he cannot wait much longer.

"Answer me!"

"No time. I need... Sakura," his breathing is getting heavier, and speaking becomes too difficult.

_Just give me my prosthetic. I need to save her. Indra's taken her._

_Sakura._

Summoning Garuda had clearly taken too much effort on Sasuke's battered body, and he is beginning to pay the cost of holding off his painful coughs. His lungs feel like they are on fire. Desperation conquers his senses, preventing his mismatched eyes from seeing lines clearly. He can feel his heart palpitate with agitation, yet everything else becomes more and more confusing for him.

The last thing he hears is Tsunade's voice calling him out before he faints.

* * *

><p><em>You peeps are amazing! Thank you so much for all your support!<em>

_One of you stated that Sakura does know Nekobaa through the anime, but I won't consider that episode since it was a filler. Sora-ku is more of a stopover in their trip and it does not really bear that much importance to the overall story. _

_So a couple of things we find out here: _

_What's up with Sakura's thoughts? At first, she does not feel like Indra's castle is a hostile environment. It's like her memory is playing tricks on her._

_LOL Indra, that is such a smooth way of asking your lady how to show her strength. Get excited for the outcome!_

_What is it that Sasuke wants to find out about his ancestor? _

_What do you think of the way that Sakura is handling Sasuke's mysterious-Itachi-like condition? I hope that you readers can understand the tumultuous state of her heart at this moment; she sees a patient in pain -a patient she has a strong connection to- but does not know how to treat him. Not to mention that Sasuke is a stubborn ass and there is a reason as to why he is not directly telling her that he is sick._

_Next chapter will be um... I don't want to say steamy but just get ready. I'll do my best to deliver something passable, so for now you should just fantasize about it n.n_

_Also, if I don't get to update before Feb 14, Happy Valentine's Day! Consider this your little V-day present ;)_

_Sincerely,_

_MSM_


	6. Chapter 6

**Now**

The fluorescent light bothers Sasuke's eyes, making him close them and turn his face away from the ceiling. He has to blink a couple of times before getting used to his surroundings, but cannot recognize anything on the sterile white walls and floor of the room he is in.

At first, he cannot remember how he got here and what for, but the memory of Tsunade's voice races in his memory, making him almost fall off his hospital bed before covering his forehead with his left hand.

Wait. His left hand...?

Sasuke looks shocked at the white bandages wrapped around his fingers, his palm, wrist and forearm. He looks in shock as every digit answers to his mind, effectively making movements without fail. The discomfort of his stump is gone, and he pulls up his sleeve to get a better look at all of his complete left arm. The bandages stop at his elbow, the rest of his skin uncovered.

It takes him a while to sink in the idea that he has a new arm. But before he can try out any other moves with it, the door opens.

"You're finally awake," the former Hokage walks in holding a clipboard. "The surgery was successful, as you can tell, but there are some other things that we need to discuss."

Sasuke removes his bed sheets, taking notice of his change of attire. He is only wearing hospital pants, his own clothes nowhere to be found. "There's no time for that. Sakura is-"

"Orochimaru sent me a letter shortly after your arrival in my home."

He feels the same desperation return and ignores Tsunade as he gets off his bed, making his way to the door. The older woman, aware of his actions, steps in between him and his exit with a threatening expression.

"You will not leave this room until you explain yourself, Uchiha Sasuke," her tone is low and commanding. They both know that imposing authority on Sasuke is useless, but then again, he thinks that she may be showing that expression because of what's happened to her dear apprentice. "You are too weak to go farther than outside of this building."

He grinds his teeth, feeling his real and _fake_ hands form into fists to contain his anger. "He's taken her somewhere and I need to-"

"I want to get Sakura back as much as you do, but if you don't sit down and listen to me I will prevent you from ever seeing her again. And trust me, I still have enough power to do that."

Sasuke looks behind Tsunade, but before he use his Rinnegan to transport himself to the hallway outside he starts to cough uncontrollably.

Blood spills out of his mouth while he covers it, and discomfort that comes from his chest is so painful that he has to rest on his knees. His vision becomes blurry and he feels less and less air reaching his head before a stinging sensation pops in his right shoulder. His heartbeat goes back to its normal pulse, he feels nauseated. After a brief moment, the world stops spinning around Sasuke but he fails to stand on his legs unassisted.

"Two days isn't enough to recover from what you have."

His stunned expression is enough to tell Tsunade that he has become more afraid than before. Two days unconscious. Two days without knowing what's been happening. Two days since he encountered Indra.

Two days without seeing or knowing if Sakura is safe.

"Now calm down," her voice resonates in his ears but he has a hard time grasping what she is saying. "I've created the same injection that Sakura gave you before. It's supposed to prevent your coughing attacks from happening periodically. But you still need to explain how you ended up with this condition and its connection to Indra."

Sasuke vaguely hears another set of footsteps entering the room. His pulse is so strong that it prevents most of the sounds from being heard. He cannot stop replaying the last time he saw Sakura in his head and how much he needs to get her back.

He hears Tsunade argue with a third participant but pays no attention to what they are saying. Sakura. Sakura. _Sakura._ The one person who he needs the most has been taken away from him. He feels his heart shrink and expand on his chest, the sense of loss invading every working vein in his body.

"Sasuke," it's Kakashi's voice. "You may find more answers in the Naka shrine."

He wants to say that he is not going to find his Sakura there. She is far away, who knows where?

"Information on your clan's history may give you some clues," Kakashi continues. "I did some research after your arrival, and your best bet is going there before doing anything reckless."

Tsunade chimes in. "Kakashi, he must explain himself before leaving this room."

How can he if he cannot find his voice? Although the injection is effectively calming down his physical pain, he still feels like half of his life is being ripped out of his body. But he needs to get her back. He needs to amend his mistakes -yet _again. _

His legs find comfort on the edge of the hospital bed. Sasuke's lips begin to move unconsciously as he begins to speak.

**Then**

"Ōtsutsuki Indra? Is he related to-"

"Yes."

"But then-"

"That's right."

"Sasuke-kun," she begins, "how does this make any sense? He's been dead for thousands of years, and you're supposed to be his reincarnation. It doesn't add up."

Sasuke looks at her intently, trying to choose his words wisely before he lets out too much. Sakura's frown remains, her mind thinking of how their world is full of impossible possibilities.

"There have been reports of someone looking like him in the north."

"Yeah, of _someone._ That doesn't mean that it's him."

And timing could not be any better for Sasuke. Irony is playing tricks with him. Just as Sakura is finishing her sentence, he feels how his windpipe constricts the access of air, and the foul taste of his blood makes its way up. He has to calm himself down while not losing his demeanour. When he feels his heartbeat slow down to its normal pace, he swallows the bit of blood that reached his mouth before continuing.

"Orochimaru has kept tabs on the strange chakra that appeared in the north since the incident with the moon."

Sakura, who was reorganizing her medical supplies, thinking of how Sasuke's time in isolation from society might have fucked up a thing or two, turns to her old teammate with a questioning expression.

"What makes you think you can trust Orochimaru?"

He sets the bed sheets aside, taking his legs out of Sakura's bed and landing his feet on the floor. The discomfort of his left arm is almost nonexistent, but the metallic taste is still in his mouth and he has to avert his face before speaking.

"He was once my teacher. I know him better than he thinks, and he would not be so invested in finding out about Indra if it the data gathered said otherwise."

She sits back on her chair and crosses her arms, letting out a small chuckle. "So you learned a lot more than jutsu from Orochimaru to know him so well."

This is not where she wished the conversation to go; talking about Sasuke's time with Orochimaru is still a sensitive topic between the two. Though she's never tried to get much out of his mouth, Sakura understands that whatever he answers may or may not hurt her. Before Sasuke left two years ago, they had the opportunity to catch up on certain things, mainly the Uchiha clan and the reasoning behind his actions. Sasuke never said it aloud, but she knew that he was telling her those things as a form of apology for all that's happened.

And she took it as that, as a long overdue apology from all the times that he strayed from her. It somehow made her fall in love a little more with him, however.

"I had to if I wanted to prevent him from taking my body."

But Orochimaru's influence in Sasuke's life is not something he easily shares. Maybe because of the burden it took in leaving the family he had formed in Team 7, or because things did not get easier for him after that. The village would not welcome him with open arms if he tried to return, and the way things would have gone is starting to give Sakura a headache with all the possibilities.

"Did you ever see him more than a means to an end?"

She ponders about the strange sickness invading Sasuke's body and of how that might be influencing his current decisions.

"I've yet to figure that one out." Because that was a very confusing time in his life, and he does not wish to think too much about it.

And yes, he is still confused about many things. Except that once in a while, they become so crystal clear when they are sitting so close to him.

Sakura finds that the giant imaginary puzzle is slowly building a clear picture. They must travel northward to assess the situation, pay Orochimaru a visit for the information he's gathered, and prepare if they need to face Indra depending on his intentions. She vaguely remembers hearing his name in the folk lessons taught at the Academy, but that was many years ago and her studies have turned in a different direction.

She's fought against his grandmother and a distant descendant, and that is as much as she can say about Ōtsutsuki Indra. If he has truly come back, she wonders how and why. From what she can gather, it's all connected: the Infinite Tsukuyomi led to Toneri's plans, and the moon's closeness to the earth might have shaken the balance of chakra, but now they need to find its link to Indra's return.

"It's all rather confusing, really," she comments after a silent pause. "I'm guessing that the moon is what caused Indra to come back. Our mission, in essence, is to discover how he's come back." Sakura goes on to explain her train of thought, without noticing how attentively Sasuke was looking at her. "It could be possible that part of his chakra was sealed in the moon at some point in his life. I mean, it's been done with Kaguya, and their clan seems to have a sort of close relation to the moon. Maybe Asura or his own descendants wanted to keep part of him alive for a special cause."

When she turns to look back at Sasuke, she finds him with his chin resting on his hand. It is a flashback to when he was younger, when he covered his mouth with both hands and went deep into thought to prevent people from approaching him. The only difference now, though, is that his mismatched eyes are completely invested in her.

"This is why I asked for you to come with me."

Sakura feels her cheeks and the back of her neck warm up, and the room suddenly feels a lot smaller than before. Her heart feels like it's running a marathon and she wonders if Sasuke can hear it. She can count the times he has complimented someone with one hand, and has to process his words repeatedly before answering to them.

"T-There's a lot more to find out before we establish a conclusion. Right now, it's all theory," she offers.

It's not that Sakura isn't confident about her abilities. She is well aware of how intelligent and hard working she is, and how much of an asset she is to a village and has been to an _international_ alliance. Sasuke's words are not even necessary to boost up her self-esteem, though having his acknowledgment was a huge stepping stone in their relationship.

But hearing him praise her still causes things. Things that have evolved over the years along with her mind, heart and body. She still feels the huge urge to say 'I told you so' but refrains, preferring to wait for a much better time to make that claim.

**Now**

She does not even realize how they end up like _this._

First, Indra's words and his fighting stance are in front of her. He practically orders her to spar with him, and Sakura does not believe the sight before her eyes until the same man appears extremely closely to her. She instantly reacts, bending her elbow and sending her fist flying into his chest.

Sakura positions her feet on the ground, bringing her chakra charged fists in front of her face for protection. She may have delivered the first blow, but it was Indra the one who made the first move.

"I don't know what your deal is yet," she grits through her teeth, anger forming in every inch of her body, "but don't you _dare_ get that close to me again!"

She forms a seal with her fingers and a shadow clone appears beside her. The two identical bodies sprint towards their opponent, kunai in hand and a determined expression on their faces. Sakura slashes her weapons across the air as she tries to land a hit on Indra, who has chosen to maintain his arms crossed behind his back.

His eyes, however, don't leave hers as she continues to deliver her attacks. When he feels her clone trying to surprise him from behind, he send a kick backwards and she disappears in a white cloud.

Sakura feels her temple pulsate more and more while she charges chakra in her limbs, preparing attack after attack.

Second, in spite of Indra's order, he does not seem to be taking her seriously. If he wants to follow through with his words and see how strong she is, he will have to start attacking too. Sakura is not one to deliver all the punches without taking a challenge. Besides, giving him a proper fight may just prevent him from suddenly appearing in front of her without her permission.

"Impressive."

She just wants to rip that grin off of his face before he gets too confident.

"Don't take me lightly! Fight back!"

Her leg delivers a strong kick to the ground, causing so much damage that half of the terrace becomes rubble and the castle shakes with strong force. Sakura takes advantage in this moment, and sends another strong kick to one of the large pieces of concrete, directing it towards Indra.

She sees how he does not divert from getting hit. How the concrete rock smashes him against one of the walls inside of the castle and its surroundings hide behind a cloud of dust and smoke. Sakura knows this is not finished, but gets a sense of satisfaction at seeing one of her attacks reach the legend.

Third, Sakura has to use her arms as cover when the cloud of dust comes in her direction. When it clears out, she finds herself standing in front of a giant made of purple chakra and fails to hide her look of shock. Lo and behold, the first Susano'o that has ever existed has just manifested before her eyes.

And Indra's learned that he cannot take her slightly.

**Then**

She takes a bit of the ointment she just finished with the tip of her finger and brings it close to her eyes for examination. "So what sort of healing techniques did the Uchiha have?"

Changing the subject might just relieve her stomach from dancing inside of her.

"I never learned any," Sasuke rolls up his left sleeve. "Nobody in my direct family was a medic nin, but I remember seeing other Uchiha with medic kits."

She has to position her chair until she is sitting fully facing him, their legs touching, her upper body only a mere inches from his. Sakura takes more of the scarring cream and begins to apply it to the end of Sasuke's arm. Her touch is gentle and warm, adding an extra layer of a soothing sensation on his skin. Sasuke feels the ends of his hair tingle his neck.

"That's a shame, I would have loved -I mean, liked- to learn them."

She smells of freshly picked flowers, much like the ones Sasuke has encountered during the spring season in the vast fields of yellows, purples, pinks and greens in the countryside.

"The Uchiha had a hidden room under the Naka shrine. In it, there is a vast collection of scrolls with information on my clan's history and culture."

He wonders if she tastes like that too.

Sasuke cannot remember if he's ever been this close with someone before. Fights aside, he's never truly experienced the sensations that come with the warmth that radiates from another person's body. He has always been a very analytical person, observing his environment before attacking. But when it comes to this, to this _intimacy,_ he feels that every sense is even more heightened than in the battlefield.

He's aware of the touch of her fingertips on his scarred skin; of her natural fresh scent; of how her voice vibrates in her and his chest every time she makes a sound; of how much prettier she is when her face is the only thing he sees.

"I'm sure you will find something there."

"But I won't be able to read them. I don't have your eyes," she says.

Her voice sounds so innocent that he questions if she does not know what she is _doing_ to him. His chest feels tightened, the air out of his lungs, but it's not because of his illness. No, it's because of something that he cannot explain with simple words. Heat travels up and down his insides until it settles in a place that is too familiar to him.

"I'll read them to you," Sasuke manages to say as she is wrapping his left arm with a new bandage.

He can see his own reflection in her green pupils, accompanied with the faint redness of her cheeks that makes her even more beautiful. Perhaps she is aware of how close they have gotten, of how dim the light is, of how small the four corners of this room seem to get. It feels like the slight brush of their knees is not enough contact for him.

"That would be wonderful."

A kind smile crinkles the corners of her face and lifts up the corners of her mouth. Yet, her expression fully changes when Sasuke grabs the piece of hair covering part of her face and tucks it behind her ear. There, she looks much better now that he can see her whole and open. All close to him, all vulnerable like him.

He trails the ends of his fingers down her jawline slowly, taking in every inch of her soft skin. Sakura tilts her head towards his hand, as if she was following his touch and yearned for more when his fingers end up on her chin. She does not avert her gaze from his, and the closer she gets the more she closes her eyelids. Sasuke finds his world turning dark as his other senses replace his sight.

The first thing he feels is the softness of her bottom lip on his. As he presses slightly, her nose brushes his and he has to tilt his head in the opposite direction to accommodate. He feels his muscles relax as he inhales, but contract when one of her hands lands on his right knee. She may not know what she is doing either, and he wonders if he is her first kiss as she is his.

He feels her lips move over his and responds similarly, trying to figure out how it is actually done. Sasuke never had the time or motive to learn this side of being human; his life has always been filled with an ulterior goal. Now that the goal is gone, now that he is on a journey to find himself, he finds that all roads end up in the same place and that place is beginning to look a lot like Sakura.

And all the uncomfortable feelings, the alarming sensation that he may get a coughing attack at any moment, are thrown out of his mind as Sasuke feels entirely consumed by her.

**Now**

Although it all happens in a series of events, it feels like a sudden flash in her mind before she finds herself pinned down, her back on the cold material, and the warmth of Indra's body on top of her. And what baffles her the most is not that his knees as straddling her hips, or that his hands have moved her arms over her head, or that his face is so close to hers that she can only see the red of his Sharingan.

No, it's the fact that she can feel his heartbeat palpitate on her chest. And how it becomes in sync with hers. Susano'o is long gone, so is the power of her seal. What remains now is just two bodies, their limbs knotted together almost beyond recognition, and Sakura's growing determination that she cannot let this end with Indra winning.

"You're very strong."

She tries to get out of his grasp, but she begins to find herself getting lost in his eyes.

And then, as if her own body was feeling everything, she finds herself with her feet welcoming the beach's soft waves while looking at the blues and oranges of a sunset. She has to tuck her long hair behind her ear with one hand, while the other rests on her side in a relaxed manner, feeling the silkiness of her one of her many formal attires.

Another set of footsteps is heard from the side, and she turns her head to find a tall, young man with long dark hair. He looks familiar, yet stares at her with such disbelief on his beautiful features that she wonders where she's ever seen him before.

His face begins to blur as he gets closer and closer, her without moving.

Sakura finds herself thrown back into her conscious mind, at first puzzled from the flashback that had appeared in her mind. She looks up, finding Indra's face still close to hers. The confusion invading her mind increases when she notices that his features have softened in that same nostalgic way she's seen it happen before.

Indra is remembering something. And whatever he is remembering is suddenly feeling a lot more familiar to her own memory. As Sakura's eyes blink, she sees flashes of different scene perform behind her lids.

A meeting.

A conversation.

A touch.

A kiss.

Sakura cannot recall those memories vividly, but rather _feel_ them. She does not know how they go or in which order, but her skin remember the feeling of his in close proximity. Her muscles relax under his grip, which consequently loosens on her wrists. It feels like a set of new moments is replacing all her life's recollections. For a moment, it's all crystal clear for her, but it is quickly replaced by the sense that there is something missing.

Her breathing becomes heavy as another flashback of a kiss manifests. The sensation of those lips caressing hers with affection and passion. Everything she inhales, her chest meets his before letting out air and repeating. The warmth of Indra's body is reaching every corner of hers, and it's beginning to get too difficult to concentrate and keep those random flashbacks from popping in and out of her mind. She finds her mouth running dry, as a new question, one that she has never asked Indra before, begins to articulate in her raspy voice.

"Where have I met you before?"

* * *

><p><em>I am truly, truly humbled with all your feedback :') It's great knowing that you folks are enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it! Your reviews are so inspiring, and I love answering your questions and reading your theories. There are a couple of other things I wish to publish here, but this is turning into such a fun thing to write waahhh.<em>

_So here we have lots of action happening! At first, this and last chapter were supposed to be one, but then I noticed how there was just TOO much happening at once that I needed to reorganize my outline. This is also the longest chapter yet, and I can't wait to show you what else I have planned kukuku._

_In regards to the steamy part, I guess it wasn't as steamy as I wanted it to be but it's still a lot of progression with the two couples. So yes, Sakura got some sort of action with both of them. You go girl! Make me proud. We will see the result of this in the next chapter, which will clarify a lot of things for Sakura. _

_I listened to Hozier while writing the SasuSaku kiss by the way. Just thought you'd find it interesting. What sort of music do you like to listen to when writing or reading fanfics about your OTP? _

_Out of curiosity, why do you folks think that I decided to name this story King of Gods?_

_Any questions and concerns can be addressed if you send me a PM or review this chapter ;) Thank you soooo so much for all your support!_

_Sincerely,_

_MSM_

_Ps: HAPPY 100 REVIEWS, KING OF GODS :3_


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